Do facial exercises help sagging skin?

Why stronger muscles do not necessarily mean tighter skin

Facial ageing involves more than muscle tone. Skin loses elasticity, while deeper fat and muscle volume also change. Sagging can therefore involve both the skin and the support beneath it. Exercising facial muscles targets only part of that picture, which makes the phrase "natural facelift" do considerably more work than the face.34

What changes can you realistically expect?

In a small facial exercise trial, upper and lower cheek fullness improved after 20 weeks. Jawline, neck and most wrinkle measurements did not show statistically significant improvements. Doctors rating photographs estimated an average age of 51 before the programme and 48 afterwards. That was a judgement of appearance, not a reversal of ageing.14

Confidence in the benefit remains low. Only 16 of the 27 enrolled women completed that programme, and there was no comparison group doing no exercises. A wider review covering 12 studies and 321 women found some local improvements, but the routines and measurements varied. All participants were women aged 30 to 70, leaving less information about men and other age groups.145

How to try facial exercises

There is no established best routine for sagging skin. The cheek fullness results came from a structured programme of 32 exercises taught by an instructor, not from one isolated smile or jaw movement. A named face yoga routine is not automatically the same programme, even if the marketing has already booked its victory lap.45

1. 1Learn the movements before starting. Participants attended two live training sessions lasting 90 minutes each.
2. 2During weeks 1 to 8, the trial routine involved 30 minutes of facial exercises every day.
3. 3During weeks 9 to 20, participants continued every other day, about three to four times per week.
4. 4Set expectations around the 20 week endpoint, rather than expecting an immediate lift. How often exercises need to continue to maintain any benefit remains unknown.

Are facial exercises safe?

No adverse events were reported in the wider review, and facial exercises are generally considered a low risk activity. That leaves room to try them if you enjoy the routine and accept a modest, uncertain benefit. Changes in surface texture are unlikely to come from exercising the muscles underneath the skin. Neither smoother skin nor a substantial lift should be the reason you commit to the routine.25

What helps more with sagging skin?

For preventing further sun related ageing, use broad spectrum sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher daily. Prevention is a different job from lifting existing loose skin. Moisturizer temporarily plumps skin and makes fine lines less noticeable, but a cream cannot lift sagging skin, however ambitious the wording on the jar.16

If visible lifting is your priority, a board certified dermatologist can assess skin tightening options. Ultrasound usually produces modest lifting within 2 to 6 months; noninvasive radiofrequency generally gives its best results around 6 months. These treatments tend to suit a small amount of sagging, while surgery gives the most dramatic results. Skin tightening procedures are not suitable during pregnancy, with a skin infection or while taking certain medications, so discuss your medicines before choosing a treatment.6